The present invention relates to an imaging optical system that is designed to simultaneously image a single reticle to a pair of imaging locations.
In applicants' experience, in photolithographic systems and methods for imaging of substrates (e.g. in the creation of semiconductor wafers), there is a general need for high throughputs, while retaining high imaging resolution, particularly as wafer sizes get larger. As wafer sizes get larger (e.g. with wafer diameters on the order of 450 mm), the ability to improve throughput (e.g. via system architecture, scanning and/or imaging techniques) is an important objective. The present invention is specifically directed to imaging techniques designed to meet that objective.